


Just Friends

by fezwearingjellybananas



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Aromantic Barry Allen, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29442051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fezwearingjellybananas/pseuds/fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: It took Barry a while to find a word that fit
Relationships: Barry Allen & Iris West
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Just Friends

“I need to talk to you,” Barry said. “But I don’t know how.”

“You can tell me anything, Bare,” Iris said. “You’re my best friend.”

“It’s hard.”

“It’s okay.”

* * *

When Barry Allen was fourteen, he was certain he was in love with Iris West. Everyone at school was talking about their crushes and starting to date people, and he wasn’t quite sure what a crush was supposed to feel like, but he definitely had strong feelings of some kind about Iris. She was his best friend and he lived in the same house as her so they were even closer than normal best friends, Barry knew Iris better than anyone in the world, it made sense that if he was going to fall in love with anyone it would be Iris. But everyone seemed to argue quite soon after trying dating and it would probably be really awkward at home if she didn’t like him like that and she couldn’t have because she talked about crushes on other people and he really couldn’t be sure if this was actually what a crush was supposed to feel like or not because no one told him, they just said he’d know when he was old enough, and it was probably for the best to keep that to himself, if he had the same feelings for Iris when he was older he could tell her then.

* * *

When he was sixteen, he was reading in his room when Iris came in and flopped onto his bed next to him.

“Physics?” he asked.

“Daphne Dean,” Iris said. Barry frowned in confusion. Daphne was his friend, they sat next to each other in English, and she always seemed so nice.

“Did she say something?”

“She could have her pick of anyone in school, why would she even look twice at me?”

“I’m not following.”

“I’m bisexual.”

“Oh. Um. Congratulations? I think? Thank you for telling me? I’m still...”

“I have a huge crush on her,” Iris said. “She’s so nice, and pretty, and smart, I know you must have thought about it too, all the boys have, even some of the other girls.”

“Right,” Barry said. “But I don’t know anything about being in a relationship, I’ve never had one, I guess all you can do is ask her and see what she says? You’re Iris, you’re the nicest person I know, and the prettiest, and you’re really clever too, anyone would be lucky to date you.”

“You’re sweet.” Iris kissed his cheek. “Anyone would be lucky to have you too. I might have had another reason for coming in here.”

“You need some help telling Joe?”

“Please?”

“Of course.”

* * *

Barry imagined kissing Daphne Dean once, after Iris told him everyone had, but it felt weird. Daphne was nice but he figured he just didn’t see the appeal of kissing yet and maybe he still had a crush on Iris. Besides, if Iris was going to ask Daphne out- and she hadn’t actually decided whether she was ready for that yet or not- it would be awkward for him to have a crush on her too. Daphne was his friend and he didn’t exactly have many of them, he much preferred her as his friend than trying to bring relationships into it.

* * *

When Barry was seventeen, he was already in his room with half a box of tissues next to him when Iris got home.

“How’s your nose?” she asked.

“Not broken,” he said. “And the bleeding stopped a while ago. It’s just sore.”

“What did Becky do?”

“It wasn’t her fault. She went to kiss me and I panicked and smacked it on a doorframe. I think we broke up?”

“You think?”

“She said she’d been ready for the next step in this relationship for a while and she’d been waiting for me to make a move but I hadn’t, and then I couldn’t tell her when I’d be ready, and then she said my nose was bleeding a lot and I should really go to the nurse’s office.”

“That does sound like you broke up. You’re sure you’re okay?”

“It’s fine, really,” Barry said. I’m relieved he didn’t add. I don’t want a next step. “We’re only seventeen, I guess it just wasn’t meant to last.”

“Still. We should have ice cream in the freezer, that’ll help.”

* * *

When Barry turned eighteen, he’d been debating bisexuality for a while. He wasn’t sure enough about the word to tell anyone, not even Iris who was now dating Daphne Dean, but he was absolutely positive he wasn’t heterosexual. He’d liked holding Becky’s hand and he wouldn’t mind doing the same with Albert Desmond if Albert asked, so if he felt the same way about people no matter what their genders were maybe that meant he was bi, like Iris. Albert did seem nice. If he asked Barry out Barry decided he wouldn’t say no, but he didn’t particularly feel like he wanted anything more than a friendship. He was probably still in love with Iris, that must be what the strong feelings were.

* * *

When Barry was twenty, he considered the idea he might be gay. But he probably wasn’t because he’d had those strong feelings for Iris. But he’d never actually wanted to kiss Iris so maybe that was just platonic feelings and they were stronger than other people said because they’d lived in the same house. But he was now living with his friend Manuel Lago and he definitely had different feelings about Manny than he had about Iris. And he liked spending time with Manny and cooking with him, that was what dating mostly was, right? When that person at the bar asked if they were a couple Barry hadn’t hated the idea. He kept thinking back to breaking up with Becky because she expected a next step and he was happy with everything as it was. And he didn’t mind Manny talking about his relationships so maybe he just wasn't a jealous person. Maybe. Or maybe these weren't romantic feelings, but they had to be, didn't they?

* * *

When Barry was twenty-one, he was lost. He was pretty sure he’d just had platonic feelings about Manny, and Becky, and Albert, and Iris, but that meant he’d never had a crush, and he really didn’t want one, but everyone kept talking about them so he must have had one but still he didn’t know what one was supposed to feel like so how was he supposed to know, it was all just so confusing. He didn’t know how to ask and he’d never got a clear answer before so what was the point. Nothing made any sense. The whole world seemed to expect him to settle down with a spouse one day and have kids and grow old with his one person and he kind of liked the idea of kids but trying to imagine the person he’d marry was just blank. He didn’t really want to get married, he just wanted to understand.

* * *

When Barry was twenty-three, he came across the word aromantic for the first time. He kept reading what other people said about it and something slotted into place. Finally, finally a word that made sense.

* * *

When Barry was twenty-five, the first holiday season after his coma, he sat down with Iris. It had not been a good day. The Man in Yellow was back. Apparently, Eddie had taken Barry giving Iris a replica of her mother’s ring a sign that Barry was in love with her. Joe and his dad had mentioned something similar. There was just so much and he was still keeping so much secret from Iris and he’d promised Joe he wouldn’t tell her he was the Flash but he could try telling her the other thing. He’d have to be brave to face the Man in Yellow and he could try starting now.

“It’s okay,” Iris said.

“I’m aromantic,” Barry said. “It means I don’t feel romantic attraction. I’m pretty sure I don’t.”

“Congratulations and thank you for telling me,” Iris said.

“It’s okay?”

“Of course it is,” Iris said. She hugged him tight. “I’m happy for you. You’re my best friend, Barry, I love you, nothing will change that.”

“You’re my best friend too.”

“Do you want some help telling Henry and Dad when you’re ready?”

“Yes please.”


End file.
